Ignition generator



June 8, 1943. E. B. NOWOSIELSKI IGNITION GENERATOR Filed June 1, 1940INVENTOR FF/1007a" /V)z "rlfzi. 615% 1' BY 8 r 4 3; ATTORNEY PatentedJune 8, 1943 IGNITION GENERATOR Edward B. Nowosielski, Bloomfield, N.J., assignor to Edison-Splitdorf Corporation, West Orange, N. J acorporation of N cw Jersey Application June 1, 1940, Serial No. 338,331

8 Claims.

This invention relates to the construction of an ignition generator ofthe magneto type, in which the rotor carries a permanent magnet forcooperation with the field structure that supports the ignition coil.

In starting certain engines, such as are used in aeroplanes, the initialrotative speed of the magneto rotor, as usually constructed, isrelatively slow and the spark weak when it should be a good hot spark tofire the relatively poor mixtures that are present at the time ofstarting.

In my application, Serial No. 326,562, filed March 29, 1940, I haveshown and described a type of magneto which overcomes the objectionabove referred to. My present application is directed to a further typeof construction which will also overcome the principal objectionspreviously referred tov Another object of my invention is to provide arotor structure which is small and relatively light, whereby it may bedriven at any desired speed to produce the necessary number of sparksfrom an ignition coil.

These and other objects will be apparent to one versed in theconstruction of ignition generators, from a reading of the attachedspecification, taken in connection with the annexed drawing, wherein thesingle figure shows a longitudinal, sectional view through the magneto.

In the drawing, there is shown a magneto having a main housing section Iprovided with an end bearing support 2 to which there is fastened asecond housing section 3. The housing section 3 has a mounting facewhich is provided with an annular shoulder 4 adapted to fit acooperative construction on the engine, the flange portion of thehousing section 3 being provided with mounting holes 5, one of which isshown. The main drive shaft 8 of the magneto is supported by a doublerow or twin bearings l which are carried in a holder 8, the holderhaving a flange 9 seated in the flange of the housing section 3 and heldthereto in any satisfactory manner as by a collar ID. The inner end ofthe shaft 6 has a hollow enlargement 50 to receive a pair of bearings 48held in spaced relation by a spacing collar which may fill part or allof the space between the bearings 48. These bearings are on a stub shaft41 carrying a gear-wheel ll having internal teeth adapted to mesh withthe teeth of the pinion I2 carried on the rotor shaft l3. Thisconstruction provides a drive in which several teeth of the gears arecontinually in mesh as distinguished from the ordinary gears having onlyone or two teeth in mesh, thus giving a quieter and better drive.

The gear II has a projecting hub 49 that is linked to centrifugallyoperated arms carried on pins 43 which are fastened to a disc 42integral with or rigidly fastened to the shaft 6. This provides anautomatic advance coupling mechanism whose position is indicated by abroken line 4!. Since this type of construction is old and well-known,it is not further described herein, but reference may be made to MoorePatent 1,388,743, issued August 23, 1921.

Adjacent the pinion I2 is a bearing [4 which supports this end of therotor shaft. The opposite end of the rotor shaft is screwed to a stubshaft l5 which is fastened to the rotor structure Hi. The shaft I5 issupported by a bearing l1 and also carries a gear It in mesh with adistributor gear IS. The gear I9 is fastened to a flange 20 of atimer-distributor shaft 2| which is supported by bearings 22 and 23carried on a bearing support member 24. A cam 25 is carried on the innerend of the timer shaft 2| for operating a circuit breaker 26, across thecontacts of which is connected the usual condenser 44.

The rotor iii of the magneto will carry any desired form of permanentmagnet so as to give two, four or more magnetic flux changes through thecore 2! of the ignition coil 28, it being understood that the core 21 ofthe ignition coil is connected by laminated pole pieces 29 which extendinto cooperative relation with the laminated pole shoes of the permanentmagnet carried by the rotor l6.

Fastened to the flange 20, in any satisfactory manner as by a pluralityof screws 30, only one of which is shown, is a distributor disc 3|having a centrally located contact 32 to which contact is made aspring-pressed brush 33 that is connected to the ignition coil by aconductor 34. The main distributor point 35 of the disc 3i is connectedto the contact 32 by a third suitable conductor 36 as indicated. Ahousing section 31 carries a distributor block 38 having the usualoutlet cable recesses 39. A starter cable or conductor 40 is indicatedwhich is connected to the starting magneto usually used. The outgoingcables from the distributor block 33 pass through an outlet to which isadapted to be attached a shielding duct going to the engine spark plugs.

If the automatic advance mechanism, Whose position is indicated by thebroken line 4|, is not used, then the gear II will be fastened directlyto the shaft 6 with such other changes as will be necessary.

Interposed between the housing sections I and 31 is a partition wall onwhich is mounted the bearings l1 and 22 aforementioned, and positionedagainst an annular seat in the housin section 31 is a partition wall 45.These partition walls enclose a compartment 52 within the magnetohousing forthe gears l8 and I9. Moreover, the partition wall 45 servesto separate the distributor from the other parts of the machine, therebypreventing oil from the gears and bearings from being thrown onto thedistributor and at the same time acting to prevent detrimental, ionizedgases, formed by the jump sparks, from flowing through the machine.

It will be understood that the embodiment of my invention herein shownis illustrative and not limitative of my invention since many changesand modifications may be made therein within the range of engineeringskill without departing from the scope of my invention, which Iundertake to express according to the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a magneto comprising a rotor and pole pieces, an ignition coilassociated with said pole pieces and a rotary element for distributingthe current produced in said coil: the combination of a housingcomprising two separable sections, a first removable partition betweensaid sections, a second removable partition stationary in relation tothe housing and forming a gear compartment with said partition, saidrotor, pole pieces and coil being disposed in one of said sections andsaid distributor element being disposed in the other of said sections;respective shafts for said rotor and distributor element each havingportions within said gear compartment; and gearing in said compartmentinterconnecting said shafts.

2. In a magneto construction: the combination of a housing having tworemovable parallel partitions forming three compartments in line; amagnetic system in one end compartment including a rotor, pole piecesassociated with said rotor and an ignition coil associated with saidpole pieces; a distributor for the high tension current of said coildisposed in the other end compartment; and gears in the intermediatecompartment coupling said distributor to said rotor.

3. A magneto construction comprising a housing, a magnetic systemincluding a flux-controlling rotor journalled internally of the housingand disposed at one side thereof, one end of the housing having a faceadapted for mounting the magneto to a support; a drive shaft journalledin said housing and projecting through said mounting. face, said driveshaft being parallel to the axis of the rotor and offset therefromtowards the center of the magneto; and gearing within the housingproviding a stepped-up transmission from said drive shaft to said rotor.

4. A magneto construction comprising a housing provided with a mountingface at one end, a magnetic system including a flux-controlling rotorhaving a journal internal of the housing, the axis of said rotor beingnormal to said mounting face and offset to one side from the centerthereof; a drive shaft projecting through said mounting face centrallythereof and journalled in said housing; and a set of internal gearscoupling said drive shaft with said rotor.

5. A magneto construction comprising a housing having a mounting face atone end thereof; a magnetic system including a flux-controlling rotorhaving a journal internal of the housin the axis of said rotor beingnormal to said mounting face a drive shaft offset from the axis of saidrotor in parallel relation thereto and proj'ecting through said mountingface; and internal gears providing a stepped-up transmission from saiddrive shaft to said rotor.

6. In a magneto including a housing: the combination of a rotor in saidhousing having a shaft journalled in an end wall portion thereof; aremovable cylindrical casing mounted on the said end wall portion of thehousing in a-position wherein the casing is axially offset from saidrotor shaft, a central outer-end wall portion of said casing serving as'dowel for mounting the magneto to a support; a drive shaft journalled insaid casing centrally of its said dowel portion; and internal gearingforming an offset coupling between said shafts having a transmissionratio other than unity.

7. A magneto construction comprising a main housing section, a magneticsystem including a flux-controlling rotor having a journal in one end ofsaid main section, a housing extension on said one end of the mainhousing section having a face at its outer end adapted for mounting ofthe magneto to a support, a drive shaft journalled in the outer end wallof said housing extension at the center of said mounting face, saidshaft terminating within said housing extension into a bearing; a memberjournalled in said bearing and internally geared to said rotor; and anautomatic spark advance device in said housing extension between saiddrive shaft and said member.

8. In a magneto including a housing and comprising a rotor having ashaft journalled in and projecting through an end' wall portion of saidhousing: the combination of a casing mounted on the said end wallportion of said housing and forming a compartment with the latter; adrive shaft journalled in the outer end of said casing and terminatinginto a bearing within the casing; a gear journalled on said bearing andcoupled with said rotor shaft; and an automatic advance device insaidcasing operatively interconnecting said gear and drive shaft.

EDWARD B. NOWOSIELSKI.

